Review: Goddess

Author: Josephine Angelini
Date of Publication: March 21 2013
Pages: 421
Series: Starcrossed #3
Source: Library

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

Review:

Reading Goddess was a strange experience because I was about a third of the way through when my elibrary copy expired, and it wasn't until two weeks later that I managed to check it out again and finished it. I remember being excited before that Goddess' pacing was faster than the previous Starcrossed novels. In the end though, I can't say I'm really happy.

The writing (i.e. the execution) was never the strongest part to Josephine Angelini's work, and I always accepted that. For Goddess, I couldn't. So much was touched on but not expanded. There was at least one new character introduced who barely influenced the story. There were so many storylines and none of them were detailed. I know I prefer the general type of stories, but this was to a whole new level because most of the time, I had no idea what was going on because prophecies and events kept surfacing and being disbanded.

The series was concluded, but not tidily. I feel like the story bounced all over the place and so many events happened that deserved a greater emphasis. Goddess was too quick and random and so I had no emotional connection to anyone. I remember adoring Orion in Dreamless, but about halfway through the book it felt like his story was completely abandoned. He went from being one of the most important characters to more of a secondary character.

Goddess was a series of flashbacks and "I'll tell you laters". I honestly think the story became too big. I'm a little surprised that, considering all the information that was necessary for the reader to absorb, the series didn't have better pacing because this was too much for a finale. I'll never stop thinking Angelini's story is compelling, but I can feel like it was executed weakly, can't I?

One part that genuinely irritated me was the characterization. The badass dudes were not truly badass. The good guys were a little vanilla. And the betrayals were so stupid (this is my angry fan opinion). There is one story line featuring one character that results in this character acting in a way that I honestly could not believe. I was blindsided by some characters' betrayals and their motivations were so weak that I was a little disgusted in the pettiness Angelini's characters possessed.

Or how about the fact that so much conflict could have been avoided if everyone thought rationally and stopped making impulsive decisions? I guessed a lot of the story and it was weird that the characters never talked to one another after some point. Helen's choices in particular were so random that I was confused. Who was this girl? And I suppose Helen was supposed to change after taking on all the power, and this was something I was looking forward to: Helen's character development. Sadly, there was really only one incident and then Helen's character never changed. Also, in times of danger, I can never imagine making out with my true love when people need me. *groans*

Now that we got that out of the way, I'll be a little more positive. Although there was a certain whiplash I felt trying to navigate through all the storylines, and although some showdowns were anticlimactic, and maybe I wouldn't have minded more description of the fight scenes, I think Angelini has an incredible imagination. The ideas were plainly fun to read about, and I don't think she wrote the best book, but this is honestly a world that touches on so many facets of Greek mythology and manages to make it semi-coherent. I feel like this entire trilogy should be in a different format, like a tv show, because it is overwhelmingly plot and idea based. Add the right music and acting and this could do very well.

The flashbacks were also very amusing. I loved seeing the characters in the past in Troy and comparing them to the present. It was so fascinating that at some point I wished that was the story instead of the jumbled present. Greek mythology is super cool and Goddess makes me want to read more of it.

Unfortunately, Goddess was not the story I had hoped for because I feel like it was weak in the technical aspects of writing. It did manage to capture my interest and entertain me, so I'm giving it 2 stars.

-P.E.